In the Desert

Jess & I taking a break from the car to explore the Mall of America.

 One thing I love about Jesus, he knew how to take some time off.  The gospels are peppered with accounts of Jesus going off into the desert, or to a quiet place to pray.  It didn't always work.  Often, once Jesus had found that quiet place, a bunch of people also found Jesus and he began teaching, healing and loving them all over again.

His dedication, devotion, and need for downtime reminds me of motherhood.  Small snatches of quiet time are much appreciated and sometimes ridiculously hard to find.  There's always the bathroom (the only room in the house with a lockable door and a reason for privacy which little children understand--sometimes).  Car rides, nap time, little trips to the store all by yourself, all of them are small but very significant reprieves from the chaos of life.  But none of these are foolproof--there's always the child who needs to use the bathroom "really bad" right after you've locked the door, the toddler who refuses to nap, or the times when it's impossible to do anything by yourself, even shop for milk.    And so, like Jesus, we go back to the ones who need us and long to be near us--back to our ministry of listening to, caring for, and loving always. 

But not this week.  This week I'm in the desert.  A dear friend is moving from North Dakota to Philadelphia and asked if I would be able to join her on a 4-day road trip.  So here I am in a Holiday Inn Express in South Bend, Indiana, halfway through our journey.  We've had time to talk, sing along to the radio, and watch our beautiful country go by.  Amongst it all I realize all over again how blessed I am.  Blessed with friendship and the excitement of exploration.  And also deeply blessed to be a mother and a wife.  My family fills my life with meaning, purpose and love and in a few days I will be coming home to them renewed and refreshed.  Meanwhile, I'll soak up this time in the desert.